Register translator or like device



Aug. 8, 1944.

D. L. HEPTINSTALL REGISTER TRANSLATOR OR LIKE DEVICE Fil ed May 29, 19415 Sheets- Sheet 1- INVENTOR DENNIS LEONARD HEPTINSTALL *2 Z2 d4 mm....mu

1944- D. 1.. HEPTINSTALL 2,355,437-

REGISTER TRANSLATOR OR LIKE DEVICE Filed May 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 26g .37 e 6 e 5 e F 4 i F 5 INVENTOR DENNIS LEONARD HEPTINSTALL ATTORNEYAug. 8, 1944. D. 1.. HEPTJNSTALL ,3

REGISTER TRANSLATOR OR LIKE DEVICE Filed May 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5INVENTOR DENMS LEONARD HEPTIN STALL ATT Aug. 8, 1944. D. HEPTINSTALLREGISTER TRANSLATOR QR LIKE DEVICE Filed May 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 4INVENTOR DENNIS LEONARD HEPTINSTALL BY z: M

v A'r'mQNEY Aug. 8, 1944. D. HEPTINSTALL 2,355,437

' REGISTER TRANSLATOR OR LIKE DEVICE Filed May 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5INVENTOR DENNIS LEONARD HEPTINSTALL ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 8, 1944REGISTER TRAN SLATOR OR LIKE DEVICE Dennis Leonard Heptinstall, Bristol,England Application May 29, 1941, Serial No. 395,707 In Great BritainJune 19, 1940 12 Claims.

The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to automatictelephone and like systems and more particularly relates to theprovision of a translating device whereby the effect of one operationcan be made to result in a variety of controls depending upon analteration of a readily changeable element.

The invention has application to register-translators of the kind inwhich a number of series ofimpulses are received and converted into aseries of other trains of impulses in which the relationship between thenumber of incoming impulses in each train and the number of trains ofimpulses has an arbitrary relationship with respect to the number ofimpulses in each train and the number of trains of impulses transmittedthereby, such translation is employed both by itself and in conjunctionwith register senders which simply repeat the impulses received withouttranslation for routing purposes and the object of the invention is toprovide a register translator which instead of being made up of a largenumber of components comprising switches, distributing frames and likeapparatus is replaced by an arrangement which is almost Whollymechanical, In this Way a very considerable saving in space is providedand the register translator unit whether with or without mechanicalregister senders is of a particularly compact construction.

While the invention has particular application to the reception andtransmission of trains of impulses it will be understood that theprinciples of the invention could be equally applied Where the controlis difierent from that exerted by incoming trains of impulses and wherethe control exerted thereby is other than the generation of outgoingtrains of impulses, for instance the receiving side of a registertranslator could be operated manually or under revertive control whilethe transmitted signals may be of coded form and not simply a series oftrains of impulses.

According to one feature of the invention a register translatorcomprises an impulse-responding device associated with animpulse-transmitting device through a mechanical linkage selected inaccordance with the setting of the impulseresponding device and adaptedto control the impulse-transmitting device so that the impulsestransmitted have an arbitrary relationship dependent upon the mechanicallinkage selected with respect to the impulses which the impulse-,responding device receives. In this way the number of trains ofimpulses and the number of impulses in each train which are transmittedcan be varied at will.

According to a further feature of the invention an impulse sendercomprises a mechanical linkage adapted to be selected under the controlof the calling party who may be an operator to de: termine the length ofeach of a number of movements of a member and the total number ofmovements of said member in order that an impulse-transmitting devicecontrolled by said mem. ber may cause impulses to be transmitted havingan arbitrary relationship to the operation .by which the mechanicallinkage is selected.

According to a further feature of the invention an impulse senderincludes an arm adapted to traverse a path having a number of componentparts in each of which parts the arm is mechanically engaged aftermaking a movement the extent of which has a definite relation to thenumber of impulses it is required to transmit, the mechanism fordetermining the extent of movement of the arm in each part of its. pathbeing predetermined by a selecting operation. v

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate by way of example two forms of carrying theinvention into elfect, although it will be understood that considerablemodifications may be made in the methods of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents diagrammatically in elevation oneform of mechanism for attaining the desired result, while Fig. 2 shows aside view of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 show an alternative form ofv mechanism embodyingthe invention, while Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate circuit diagramsrepresenting the receiving and transmitting controlling arrangementsrespectively.

Referring to Fig. 1 the mechanism consists of three elements, an impulseresponding device A, a plurality of mechanical linkages one of which isgiven the reference B, and an impulse-tran mitting controlling device C.The function of the impulse responding device A is to select a linkagesuch as B in response to impulses received while each mechanical linkageis designed to determine the extent of a series of movements of theimpulse-transmitting controlling device C. It is important that thelinkages such as B should be of a very simple character in order thatthey can be readily changed as it is these units which determine thetranslation, and the translation required varies according to thesituation in which the device is used and according to the requirementsfrom time to time. On the other hand the elements A and C can be of thesame construction irrespectiv of the variations of the linkages such asB. It is these linkages such as B which replace the distributing frameused in existing forms of register-translator.

The impulse responding device A as shown consists of a drum l adapted tobe driven by two ratchet wheels I l and I2 secured to the shaft thereof,the teeth of the ratchet wheel ll being spaced apart at an angulardistance equal to ten times the angular distance between the teeth ofthe ratchet wheel [2 so that each step of the ratchet wheel I!corresponds to ten steps of the ratchet wheel 12. The ratchet wheel H isadapted to be stepped by a tens magnet TM while the ratchet wheel I2 isadapted to be stepped by a units magnet UM. By arranging for ten teethon the ratchet wheel H and 190 teeth on the ratchet wheel [2 it ispossible by means of the magnets TM and UM in response to two series ofimpulses each consisting of ten impulses or less, to set the drum to anyof one hundred different positions.

It will be understood that it is by no means essential that theconstruction of the impulse responding device should. be as described.Instead of a drum, one might arrange for the mechanical linkagessupported on the surface thereof to be supported on a straight memberhaving a plane surface and a linear movement. Similarly it is notessential that the movement of the drum should be efiected by ratchetmechanism as there are many mechanical equivalents well-known in the artof automatic telephone switch construction, such as motor drive,escapement control, spring control or combinations thereof which couldreadily be substituted by persons skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit of the present invention.

The drum is provided on its surface with a number of rows of holes 13(Figure 2), each row corresponding to one of the 100 positions to whichthe drum can be set. In the arrangement shown in the drawing it ispossible to provide up to ten holes in a row and for each position ofthe drum pins varying in length and number as may be arbitrarilydetermined can be placed in position and changed from time to timeaccording to the number of impulse trains it is required to transmit andaccording to the number of impulses in each individual train. The pinsare adapted to be a tight fit in the drum and to abut against a fixedstop so as to ensure that the lengths they project are definite.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the use ofpins; an alternative is described in connection with Figs. 3-7 and otherarrangements can readily be conceived by those versed in the art. Thedrum is operated against the pressure of a restoring spring and isprovided with a release magnet RM which has a detent [4 adapted to bewithdrawn from the teeth of the ratchet I2 when the translator is nolonger required to permit the drum under control of a spring l5 (shownin dotted lines) to restore to a normal position.

As described the drum is set by means of received impulses but it willbe understood that the drum could be set under control of revertivepulses if desired or even under manual control without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. The device C is associated with and adaptedto be controlled by an impulse-transmitting device to determine thenumber of impulses in each train and also the total number of trains ofimpulses to be transmitted. As shown the device C consists of a fixedshaft l6 carrying a sleeve IT rotatable and slidable with respectthereto and having a contact-making arm I8 at one end, a longitudinalratchet H) by which the sleeve IT can be stepped from right to left, arotary ratchet by which the sleeve may be rotated on the shaft l6 and aspring 2| which is adapted to tend to restore the shaft I! to a normalposition both as regards axial movement along the shaft l6 and rotarymovement round the shaft. The axial movement of the sleeve I1 is adaptedto be effected by the pawl-controlling magnet 22 which is stepped withthe transmitted impulses to move the contact-carrying arm l8step-by-step until its projecting contact 23 engages with one of thepins of a mechanical linkage B. Engagement of this contact causes theimpulse transmission to cease, the magnet 24 is operated to allow thesleeve I! to restore to normal, the rotary magnet 25 is operated torotate the sleeve through one step so as to bring the contact-makingmember 23 opposite to an adjacent pin in the same row and the operationrepeats.

The arrangement is such that the first impulse is not transmitted to theline so that when the number of trains of impulses that have to betransmitted is completed, the contact 23 engages a pin slightly longerthan any of the pins which control the transmission of the series ofimpulses and this has the efiect of terminating the impulse transmissionwhen the release magnet 26 is operated and the sleeve Il restored to itsnormalcondition.

It will be understood that as shown the rows of holes l3 are curved toconform with the rotary movement of the arm I8. They could, however, bearranged in a straight line if a suitable mechanical linkage wereprovided between the contact 23 and the arm l8, all that is essentialbeing that a contact arm for each position should only be capable ofengaging with one pin for each position and for this purpose contact 23must be on the end of a rod of suflicient length to reach the shortestpin without the arm I8 and any member supported thereby contacting withpins in adjacent positions.

Referring to the alternative arrangement shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and'7 the drum I0 is replaced by two circular plates 30 and 31 mounted on ashaft 32 which is controlled by means not shown but which may be similarto the means for controlling the drum A. These circular plates arespaced apart as shown and are provided with radial slots 33 at or neartheir periphery, there being one radial slot for each angular positionwhich the plates are adapted to take up, that is to say that in place of100 rows of holes as in the drum I0 there would be 100 slots in eachplate. Furthermore the slots in. each plate would be in the same angularrelationship so that plates 34, such as shown in Fig. 4, may be securedtherein so as to lie at right angles to the plates 30 and 3|. The plates30 and 3| are secured to flanges 35 and 38 respectively, which flangescarry radial springs 31, 38 either individual to each slot or individualto a number of slots as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5. A plate such as 34is adapted when placed in any of the slots to be secured in position bythe appropriate springs 31 and 38 engaging in grooves 39 and 40 in theplate 34. These grooves are so shaped as to permit of the ready removaland replacement of the plates in the slot. Plates such as 34 act asmechanical linkages corresponding to the units such as B in Fig. 1, eachplate being recessed on its outer side in a stepped manner,corresponding to the translation it is desired to effect. Fig. 7 shows aplate 34 in position in a pair ofslots of the discs 30 and. 3|.

Fig. 4 shows the shape of the stepped slots-for a translation of sixdigits 150072. Provision may be .made in the plate for the generation ofany number of series of impulses but conveniently the number 10 has beenselected as a maximum, while the example under consideration of courseonly deals with six digits, For each digit there is allotted a verticalstrip of the plate 34 having a constant width, so that every plate has astrip for corresponding digits in the same relative position.

The element for use with this construction may be of substantially thesame form as described with reference to Fig. l, the contact 23 in thiscase engaging with the bottom of the various stepped slots whichcorrespond to the various digits to be transmitted. It will beappreciated that in this case the size of the contact member must besuch as to penetrate to the bottom of each slot which it would only doif it does not foul the sides of any adjacent plates or adjacent slots.Instead of having individual retaining springs for each of the platessuch as 34 a limited number may be provided shaped as shown in Fig. 5which allows for a total of six, for each of the circular plates 30 and3|.

The operation will now be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Itwill be assumed that the impulses will be received upon the line relayRA which is operated as soon as the circuit across the incoming line isclosed; at contact ml the circuit for the slow release relay RB iscompleted. RB on operating at contact rbl completes a circuit for theright-hand winding of relay RC through contacts DNI which are operatedwhen the drum is moved off-normal; at contact Th2 a circuit is preparedfor the left-hand winding of relay RC and the tens magnet TM, at Th3 apoint is closed in the circuit of relay RK. In response to the firstseries of impulses the magnet TM is operated to cause the drum to stepthrough large angular movements corresponding in number to the number ofimpulses received. At the end of the series of impulses when contact mlremains in its closed position the relay RC releases due to contact DNIbeing opened at this time. The circuit is now completed for relay RKthrough contact rcl and off-normal contacts DN2 which are closed whenthe drum moves offnormal. Relay RK locks up at contact rkl and atcontact r762 connects up magnet UM. In response to the next series ofimpulses the drum is stepped through small angular steps correspondingin number to the number of impulses received in the second train. RelayRC is energised in this circuit and completes a circuit for relay RCX atcontact 102. When the second train of impulses ceases relay RC releasesand a circuit is completed through contacts r103, 1'02, rlsl, rczcl andrelay RTN. Relay RTN energises and locks energised over contact rtnl andat contact 1'tn2 (see Fig. 9) a circuit is prepared for relay RES inseries with impulsing springs GD of an impulse sender having a 33% breakand a 67% make of its contact. If and when springs GD close relay RHSenergises and at contact rhsl completes a circuit for relay RSL throughcontacts rls I and sxm l. Impulsing springs LP which are controlledsynchronously with springs GD for instance by means of a drive common toa plurality of impulse senders are connected across the outgoing linewhich however is normally shunted by the contact rslll. The impulsesprings LP have a 33% make and a break, the springs LP and GD beingoperated so that when one makes, the other breaks and vice versa. Whenrelay RSL is energised as previously described and opens its contactsrsll the contacts LP have just opened but as contact NP2 is still closedno impulse is yet transmitted. Relay RSL locks energised over contact1312 independent of contact rhsl. Relay RHS at contact rhs2 alsocompletes a circuit for relay RHX, which looks energised at contactsrhxl and at contact ThClIZ prepares a circuit for the horizontal stepmagnet 22. When the contacts GD next open relay RHS releases andcompletes a circuit for magnet 22 causing the sleeve I! to be steppedone step to the left while contacts LP close. The next Opening andclosing of contacts GD result in the contact 23 being advanced a furtherstep while due to opening of contact NP2 at the beginning of the secondstep a first impulse is transmitted by contacts LP which are no longershort-circuited. The operation proceeds step by step until the contact23 engages one of the pins of the selected linkage B when a circuit iscompleted as follows: earth, contact 23, pin of linkage B. drum A,contact NPI (which with contact NP2 is operated when the sleeve hasmoved beyond the first step from its normal position), relay SXM tobattery. Reday SXM operates and at contact smm3 completes a lockingcircuit for itself through con tact SNI which is closed when the sleevel1 first moves off-normal. At contact srm2 the locking circuit for relayRI-IX is opened and RHX releases. At contact sxml the locking circuitfor relay RSL is opened and this relay releases. Contact s.rm4 completesa circuit for the release magnet 24 so that the sleeve [1 restores tonormal in an axial direction. Contact szcm5 completes a circuit forrelay R0 and contact swmB completes a circuit for relay PA which is heldoperated over contact rol; relay PA at contact p'al opens the circuit ofrelay RHS. When the sleeve reaches its normal position contact SNI opensand relay SXM releases whereupon a momentary circuit is completed formagnet 25 over contacts smm5 and T02. Magnet 25 rotates the sleeve I1one step. Due to the opening of the circuit of relay R0 at samS by therelease of relay SXM, contact r02 opens shortly after, consequently thecontact 23 is now brought opposite the second pin of the linkage B.Contact ro l opens the circuit of relay PA. Relay PA at contact palprepares the original circuit for relay RHS so that the operation cannow be repeated as regards the transmission of the next train ofimpulses. As relays PA and R0 are both slow to release it will beappreciated that a suitable pause is introduced between sucoesive trainsof impulses.

When the last train of impulses it is required to transmit has been sentan extra long pin is placed in the next hole opposite which the contact23 is set so that when the sleeve is moved the :first step oif-lnormalbefore the contacts NPI or NP2 are operated, contact 23 engages thislong pin and a circuit is completed from earth, 23, longpin of linkageB. drum A, contact NPI, relay RLS to battery. Relay RLS energises and atcontact rZsZ completes a circuit for release magnet RM allowing the drumA to rotate to normal. At contact 1153 the locking circuit of relay RTNis opened and relay RTN releasesv At T184 a circuit is completed forrelease magnet 24 to permit the sleeve to restore in an axial directionalong the shaft l6, relay PA being energised over contact 1155 andsleeve-c-fi-normal contact 8N2. At 'rZsS a circuit is completed formagnet 25 to allow the s eeve IT to restore in a rotary direction.

The mechanical register-translator is now restored to normal as well asthe associated relays other than relays RA and RB which areautomatically cut out of circuit following well-known practice inconnection with register-translators when the register-translator isfreed for setting up other connections. Similarly other auxiliarycircuits including forced release due to delay to dial, permanent faultsor the like can be incorporated in the circuit in a way similar to thatadopted with the known register-translator circuits.

It is to be noted that if ever relays RA and RB are released for anyreason such as the calling party releasing the connection before theregister-translator has gone through its complete cycle of operationsthen a circuit is completed for relay RLS over contacts ml, Th2 and DN3which effects the restoration of the whole of the mechanism to normalwhatever the stage it has reached in its operation.

It will be appreciated that the element A may be set by one or moretrains of impulses although it is described with reference to two, whichis the most usual. The fundamental feature 01 A is that there should bea separate setting position for every translation it is desired toeiiect or that there should be the same setting position for a limitednumber of translations and means controlled by one train of impulses forselecting the translation to be used. In this latter case there might bea plurality of drums or a single drum with a plurality of sets oflinkages B side by side. If there are only a small number oftranslations and the controlling impulses are formed of a number ofseries of impulses then it might be desirable to control the movement ofthe element A in a different way than by direct control by the impulses.Also the shaft of the drum A might be provided with a wiper engaging anumber of contacts and a contact could be marked for instance by anoperator pressing an appropriate key to cause the drum automatically toset itself to a position corresponding to the key depressed.

Similarly the element C which as described is actuated by impulses froma generator associated with a translator simultaneously with thetransmission of impulses may itself work automatically under suitablecontrol and generate the impulses for transmission.

It will be appreciated that while the operation of the drum is effectedby the received impulses this ma not be altogether satisfactory owing tothe moment of inertia which the drum will possess and for this purposeit may be arranged that the drum is power driven and released by theimpulses or controlled by a source of power for a definite movement foreach impulse. The pins of the linkage B may be replaced by screws oralternatively the whole of a code may be formed in one unit and securedin the drum. This would approximate to the plates employed in thearrangement shown in Fig. 4.

The use of plates or other equivalent has the advantage that the wholecode can be changed in a much shorter time. For instance the code for aparticular transmission or routing may be prepared beforehand for allthe register translators which require it and inserted in one singleoperation instead of individual operations for each train of impulses itis required to transmit.

It will be understood that a mechanical register-translator according tothe invention may not only generate impulses for setting up a connectionbut may also generate metering pulses for which a. special position maybe allocated in the linkage B.

What I claim as new and desire to secur by Letters Patent is:

1. In a register sender, a plurality of series of mechanical devices,each series preset in accordance with a plurality of digits, meansresponsive to received impulses and operated thereby to select aparticular one of said series, a transmitting device, and means foroperating said transmitting device under control of said selected seriesto transmit a plurality of series of impulses corresponding to thedigits for which the pre selected series of devices is preset.

2. In a register-sender, a sender, a control arm, means for repeatedlyoperating said arm to cause transmission of a plurality of series ofimpulses one series for each operation, the number of impulses in eachseries determined by the extent of movement of said arm, the number ofseries of impulses transmitted determined by the number of repeatedoperations of said arm, a controller, means for setting said controllerto any of a plu rality of positions in response to a series of impulses,each position of the controller having means for determining the extentof movement of said arm in each of its plurality of operations and thenumber of operations thereof, each position of the controller causingsaid arm to transmit a particular plurality of series of impulses havinga particular plurality of impulses in each series.

3. A register sender such as claimed in claim 2 in which impulses of aplurality of series are rcceived by the device, and in which there ismeans responsive to the received impulse series to set the controller toa particular position.

4. A register sender such as claimed in claim 2 in which said controllercomprises a step-bystep mechanical device having a plurality of groupsof mechanical limiting devices, one group for each POsition and whereinsaid controller is rotated responsive to received impulses to bring aparticular group of limiting devices into operative relation with saidarm.

5. A register sender such as claimed in claim 2 in which there is meansfor causing the repeated movement of said arm first in an axialdirection to control the transmission of one series of impulses, then inanother direction to prepare for transmission of the next series ofimpulses, and then again in an axial direction to transmit anotherseries of impulses.

6. In a register-sender, means for receiving incoming impulses and asender for transmitting a plurality of series of impulses having adefinite relation to the incoming impulses, said means comprising arotatable element having a plurality of paths thereon each including aplurality of limiting devices, said sender including a repeatedlyoperated arm, said rotatable element selectively operated by receivedimpulses to present a particular one of its paths to said arm, and meansfor then operating said arm repeatedly to engage each of the limitingdevices in the selected path, to transmit a particular series ofimpulses for each limiting device engaged.

7. In a register-sender, means for receiving impulses and a sender fortransmitting a plurality of series of impulses, a controller for saidsender comprising a member mounted for motion in a forward direction ineach of a plurality of paths, means responsive to received impulses forinterposing a stop in the path of said member in each of said paths todetermine the extent of movement of said member therein, means for thenoperating said member in its forward movement in a first path, saidsender transmitting impulses throughout said forward movement,

means for stopping the transmission of impulses when the member engagesthe stop in said first path and causing the member to shift and moveforward in succeeding paths, the distance moved by said member in eachpath determining the number of impulses transmitted by the sender in asingle series.

8. A register-sender such as claimed in claim 7 in which the stop memberof any path has a particular position which will prevent furtheroperations of said member and sto the transmission of impulses. 7

9 In a register sender, means for receiving incoming impulsescorresponding to digits, and means for transmitting series of impulsescorre sponding to digits, an element having endwise and rotary movement,a controller having means for determining the extent of endwise movementof said element, means for operating said controller in response toincoming impulses corresponding to one or more digits to a particularposition, means for then operating said element repeatedly in a forwardmovement in each of a plurality of rotary positions, said sendertransmitting impulses in a series for each forward movement of saidelement, said controller in accordance with its position limiting theforward movement of the element in different manners in each of itsrotary positions to determine the number of impulses transmitted in eachseries.

10. A register-sender as claimed in claim 9 in which the position towhich the controller is operated also determines the number of rotarypositions in which the element is operated to thereby limit the numberof series of impulses transmitted.

11. In a register translator, a sender, a mechanical device having aplurality of positions, and a plurality of limiting devices in eachposition, said mechanical device operated by a series of impulses to oneof its positions, said sender having an element movable differentdistances to transmit different series of impulses, said elementoperated to transmit the same number or a greater or smaller number ofseries of impulses than was received by the said mechanical device, saidelement controlled in the number of series of impulses transmitted bythe limiting devices in that position.

12. In a register sender, a mechanical controller having a plurality ofpositions, each position having a plurality of preset limiting devices,means for operating said mechanical controller to a selected one of itspositions, each movement of the controller moving all of said limitingdevices as'a unit, a transmitter, a control arm for the transmitter,means for repeatedly operating said arm to transmit a plurality ofseries of impulses, determined by the position of the controller.

DENNIS LEONARD HEPTINSTALL.

